Northern Ireland's leading sprinter, Lauren Roy, has voiced her dismay at being excluded from Team NI for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, stating she feels 'punished' by the decision. Roy, who holds the Northern Ireland 200m record and represented Ireland at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March, will not be competing despite meeting consideration times.
The 25-year-old, currently in her final year of college in the USA with Tarleton State, faced a direct conflict between the dates for the NI & Ulster Senior Championships and the NCAA Division One Championships – a major college athletics event in the US. Athletics NI's selection policy stipulated that athletes hoping to compete at the Commonwealth Games should participate in the 2025 or 2026 NI & Ulster Senior Championships. However, the dates for these championships were not released when the policy was published in June 2025, only becoming available at the beginning of this year.
With the NCAA Division One Championships having already set its schedule, Roy opted to compete in Oregon, a decision she believes has ultimately led to her omission from the six-strong athletics team. She had sought an exemption from Athletics NI, citing that similar high-level competition can often serve as an alternative under other sporting policies, but her request was not granted. Roy told BBC Sport NI that she feels she is 'punished for being in a very good set-up' and for trying to advance her career by moving to Texas.
Her season's best time in the 200m of 22.83 seconds in 2026 would have been sufficient to secure a fourth-place finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, highlighting her competitive potential. Roy expressed disappointment at the lack of flexibility from Athletics NI, stating she was informed 'the policy is the policy' despite her contention that the policy was 'produced insufficiently' due to the absence of specific dates at its publication.
Beyond the sporting implications, Roy also highlighted the significant financial and academic hurdles she would have faced if she had returned to Northern Ireland for the national championships. She estimated a cost of approximately £5,000 to compete and noted that her university scholarship, which funds her education and athletics in the USA, requires her to compete in all qualifying meets for her school.
Team NI confirmed to BBC Sport that they could not consider Roy for selection as she was not nominated by Athletics NI. Athletics NI has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the matter.